In the video above I make a lovely dark berry smoothie that will blow your mind! As in most of my smoothies, I add a lot of different seeds, nuts and super foods which make for a hearty meal replacement. This served as my pre-workout and post-workout drink today and was very satisfying. Try this instead of the typical protein powder based drink the next time you go to the gym, or simply take a smoothie to go on your way to work. You'll save time, but at the cost of flavour!

*Now, blend all of the ingredients above in your high-powered blender until well combined and serve!

My favourite part about dark berry smoothies is knowing how beneficial dark berries are for my health. Here are their most impressive points:

New research shows that darker berries may very well be healthier than their lighter counterparts. Purple berries, for example, such as elderberry, black currant, and chokeberry, have as much as 50% more of the antioxidants known as flavonoids than other berries!

We know that berries have the highest concentration of antioxidants as compared to other fruits and vegetables, but little research has been done specifically on the benefits of dark-coloured berries vs. their lighter counterparts. Recently, researchers analyzed the antioxidant content of several varieties, including black currants, red currants, gooseberries, chokeberries, and elderberries and discovered that chokeberries (a very dark variety) were the richest in antioxidants, with 1,480 mg of anthocyanin concentration per 100 grams of fresh berries. Gooseberries (the lightest variety) had the lowest.

So, it may well be very true that "the darker the berry ... the healthier the juice" ...

Try a dark berry smoothie today and, if you're hard-up for recipes, check out any one of my Diet Plans that feature a berry based smoothie every morning for breakfast!